, 1887-11-03
IA HE GUILTY ?
NO Evidence TO Convict the Indtan. Paul
Henry of tho Mission Murder.

NO Evidence TO Convtce the InOtnu, faul
Henry of tho Mission Murder.
From gentleman perfectly con.
versant with the Peavy family mur.
der and the examination OF Paul
Henry, the Indian held on suspicion
of having committed the crime. we
have the following interesting par
ticulars OF the case, which are given
for publication for the first time, the
gentleman waiting until the first ex-
citenient created by the crime had
subsided:
Mrs. Peavey lives about three
quarters Of Il mile from the SISTERS
school, at DeSmet Mission. On
Thursday afternoon, Oct. 9th, she
visited her children at school, took
some clothing to mend, and prom
ised tn bring them back next day.
She failed to do so; but no attention
was paid to that. She failed again
to come around for Sundays relig-
iuus services, and the sight of the
cattle roaming in her garden,
gether with her absence from
church, created the suspicion that
perhaps she was i'll, and on Tuesday,
Oct. llth, somebody was sent to the
house, and thus the murder was dis
covered. There was, at the time, an
Indian in Jail for something or other
his name was Paul Henry, rather
wild boy. The chief of police, after
hearing OF the murder, thinking
that very likely Paul Henry would
be thought guilty of the crime, from
the fact that he WAS In Jail since
Friday, Oct. 7th, released him and
sent him home, telling him the next
time he mlsbehaved again he would
keep him longer in Jail. The boy
went home, but soon after, the news
of the murder and that he was ac.
cused of it came to his ears This he
denied, and when told to run awYy
he refused to do SD. He was almost
dragged away, and only went when
told that it was better for him to go
till the excitement and suspicion
would have subsidized. When told
that he ran the risk of being hung,
he simply replied: "Let them hang
me. lam not afraid to appear he.
fore Gud. | have not done the
crime" He went off at last, and,
sure enough, his sudden disappear
ance was explained as flight from
justice. He was pursued, found and
brought back tn Jail. a trial was in
stituted before the Indian agent, the
chief and the principal men Of the
tribe, but the more he was examined
and cross examined, the less he was
found guilty. In fact, Mai. Gwyder
asserts that even several white men
testified AS to the whereabouts of the
Indian, and were contradictory to
the prisoners statement, but the lat
ter stuck To his testimony to the end,
and his testimony, from further evil
dence, proved true, and that of the
whites false. Now it is supposed the
murder took place Thursday even
ing, Oct. 6. The parents of the In
dian testify that he was at hOm
from Thursday afternoon till Friday
morning, when he was arrested and
put in Jail for other nisbehaviOr, and
the murder was not known then. As
tO the $40 piece he exchanged, and
that MIR. Peavey had given his wife
the same sum before leaving for SpO-
kane Falls, 1t was proved that
the Indian got that money from
Il butcher in PalOuse City to- whom
he had sold cattle stolen from an In
VI ldfI. IldNInH TcctlNcu btO III dll,
Being known to have money, he
was offered whisky by a white man.
He WIS seen drunk aud thus thought
to have been ihe murderer. For all
we know he may be guilty, bat thus
far there Is no evidence Not the
least stain of blood was found
on the clothes he Is known
to have worn for several weeks,
and the more the circumstances are
examined the more, thus far, is he
proved innocent. The only sure
Thing is, that the murder was com
Initted on the reservation. But |
whether by an Indian or white man
is thus far unknown. One thing Is !
sure that it has not the appearance
0f an Indian murder, since il il not |
known yet of an Indian ever cutting |
the throat Of u person. Then Mrs. |
Peavy lives on high road to u
Single mill where many whites
travel constantly. Should, however,
an Indian prove guilty, the Occur
PAlenes are too well organized |
tribe to allow any such individual to
i've among them and will be the |
first to hang him, and that on very |
short notice.